Still Together
by SassyWarriorPrincess1356
Summary: Cannon Divergence Story / Post Season 4 Episode 13 / Just imagine Grady blew up like it should have a long time ago (Sorry Noah). Rated M for language, sexual situations, and violence. Smut to come ;)
1. The road that leads to you

Beth could take care of herself. Daryl knew she could. Didn't stop his blood boiling when one of Joe's men reached out to grab at her.

The first time it happened, Beth had gotten up to get more food at Daryl's command. She was so little and even though she had muscle she needed more weight on her bones. He had got up to go with her but she had put a hand on his shoulder and gently pushed him down.

"Daryl, I don't need a chaperone." She had a smile on her face when she said it but he gave a pained look in return. "I'll be fine. I'm just going a few feet away."

He nodded and gave a gruff 'Okay' as she continued over to "the stash".

The food supply had gotten so low that even Joe had to cut back on the claiming ordeal. Any canned foods were to be given to the center and rationed. Beth had already eaten a whole can of peaches but it was understood that she needed more. Again, Beth wasn't weak. She just needed more energy for her bad ankle, which had seemed to worsen since they had been separated.

These "Claimers" had found him and Daryl had decided to stick with them until he thought the time was right to ditch them. And then later that day, she had come out of the brush.

Beth was bloodied head to toe, her ankle making her hobble more than he remembered as she laid eyes on Daryl. Daryl was quick on his feet and he called out, "Claimed." Which had everyone confused. Daryl didn't seem like the type to claim women as his own or take advantage of them. He ran to her and grabbed her, slid one arm behind her legs and lifted her up. He carried her to the group and immediately wished he could make both him and Beth invisible so they could slip away.

"Claimin' a girl ain't the same as a damn rabbit carcass. Rabbits pass by more than a piece of ass does. We should share her."

Daryl didn't even have to look at who was saying this, he knew the sliminess of Len's voice any day.

Daryl growled out, "We ain't sharin." Beth was holding onto Daryl's neck but he was surprised to see that she was glaring along with him. He didn't know why he was surprised, he just expected her to be scared but instead he saw anger.

Joe nodded, "Len's got a point though, Daryl. You have to admit, a girl is way more valuable now-a-days than a simple piece of food."

Daryl tightened his grip on Beth and he could tell her breathing had quickened. "I said we ain't sharin'. Rule are rules. I claimed her, she's mine."

Len shook his head but Joe seemed to understand now. Daryl knew this girl. "You know her, Daryl?"

Daryl hesitated but Beth looked up at him, arms tightening around his neck and he looked down at her. Her big blue doe eyes were bright as she nodded her head, urging him to tell the truth.

He gave them a low 'Yeah.' And Joe's eyes brightened as he nodded again, "I'm sorry boys but we're gonna have to let this one go."

Len was the first gripe and moan about the decision but Joe had cut him off. Daryl had loosened his tense grip on Beth and looked back down at her, giving her a questioning gaze but she shook her head, "Later, Daryl."

Daryl nodded and readjusted his hold on her and followed behind every member of the group.

Daryl's reminiscing of the recent events that day was cut short when he saw Beth get up with a plate of corn and she had also grabbed another can of peaches as well. The smile that lit up on her face had Daryl giving a small smile as well. She was so beautiful especially when she smiled, the big bright ones like she was now. The smile was erased when out of nowhere Len grabbed a hold of her arm making her jerk out of his grasp, causing her to drop the can of peaches and plate of corn.

"You gonna give me anything in return for those peaches, girl?" Len went for her again and Daryl immediately shot up from his place by their fire and almost shot a bolt right between his eyes.

But Beth beat him to it.

Like clockwork she had Len on his stomach, straddling his back, hands held together in one of hers, and knife to his throat. Beth whispered something into his ear and roughly got off of him. Len looked at her bending down and grabbing what she could salvage from the corn that had been dropped.

She plopped right next to Daryl and started eating. Daryl was still standing, impressed beyond belief with her. Even though it had been a long time since he had given a hunting lesson nonetheless a fighting lesson to Beth she retained knowledge better than anyone he knew.

She looked up at him with a mouthful of peaches, juice running down the side of her mouth and for one scary second Daryl thought about taking his hand and wiping it off the side of her lip, down her mouth.

 _Get it together, Dixon._

He sat down right next to her and took a look at Len who had retreated to his tent, the other guys giving him shit for being brought down by a girl. Daryl let a small rumble of laughter escape him and Beth stopped eating her peaches to look at him. He looked over at her and she was licking around her mouth at the peach juice. She was adorable. He could admit that.

"What?" She asked with the same lightness as she did at the funeral home.

She really was oblivious to how she made him feel. Oblivious to how damn cute she was.

Daryl shrugged his shoulders and Beth rolled her eyes at him, "Oh not this again." Her tone was playful and she giggled as she slurped another peach into her mouth. Daryl shivered at the sound and decided to lay back on his sleeping bag, hands behind his head.

He soon heard a sigh come from Beth and he almost jumped when she laid right next to him. His heart almost jumped out of his chest too as she cuddled into his side.

"This okay?"

He looked down at her for a second and then back up at the sky, "Mhm."

Beth nodded as she laid her hand in the middle of his chest and nuzzled into the side of his neck. Her warm breath coming in puffs along his jugular.

 _Girl didn't ask if this was okay._

Beth felt his hand on hers and for a brief moment she thought he was going to move it. She smiled as he kept his hand there and rubbed his thumb over her knuckles, slowly but with confidence. Her eyes fluttered shut and soon his did too.

Beth's eyes slowly opened as the morning sun peaked over the horizon. She shut them again as the light stung her eyes, letting out a small groan. She went to move but realized she was being held aorund the waist and Daryl's chest was to her back. She had no idea how or when they had managed to get in this sleeping position, but she wasn't complaining either. His warmth was cozy and greatly accepted by the blonde haired blue eyed woman. She shifted which inadvertently wiggled her hips against his and she felt his grip tighten around her. Her heart beat twice as fast as he grumbled something in his sleep, his lips moving on her neck.

Then she felt him.

She thought it was just maybe his gun or his knife at first but no. She may have been raised in a Christian, sheltered household but Beth Greene knew what was rubbing up against her ass. And it made her blush but also send a warm sensation down her body. A heat she wasn't used to feeling. A want coming from within the depths of her inner being. Beth knew about guys and their morning hard-ons but she wanted to play with the idea that he was hard for her in this moment.

Daryl murmured something again in her neck and suddenly she felt his hand go underneath her yellow polo, just stroking her tummy slowly, up and down. She had went still but relaxed soon after his rubbings had begun. His hand ventured lower than normal sometimes and higher the next. She almost wanted to take a hold of his hand and delve it into her jeans

She didn't feel any bashfulness or embarrassment for the thoughts she was having. She had been having these thoughts for a while. Thoughts of him. She always knew he was ruggedly handsome. She knew he was damaged. He was complicated and had a usual absence of confidence in himself. But underneath it all, he was the sweetest, kindest man she had ever had the pleasure of knowing.

She had realized it in the funeral home. When she had asked him what had changed his mind. The man had a way with communicating without words. His emotions all in his seething, blue eyes. It had totally caught her off guard when he had exposed himself like that to her. He believed there were still good people out in this world because of **her**.

Beth felt a disturbance in the way his hand was stroking her and it suddenly stopped. He was awake and Beth turned her head. Their eyes met and she felt his breath on her lips. There was no horror in Daryl's eyes. There was no resistance in the way he flipped her the rest of the way towards him so that they were chest to chest. Beth let a small giggle leave her lips as she instantly felt giddy and slightly light headed from the way her blood was pumping in her ears.

He was surprisingly gentle and aware when his lips came to touch hers. She breathed into the kiss and brought her hands to his long hair as his stayed at her waist. She blamed it on the way they were laying but she raised her leg to anchor around his hip. The movement made him go still but he soon continued his assault on her mouth. She welcomed his tongue as it explored hers and she moaned deep into his mouth as his hands slid down to rest on her hips.

Beth departed just to bury her face in his neck, laying feather light kisses there.

"We gotta go, Beth."

It's like she was just now realizing they weren't the only two people in the universe. Their camp started to come alive as men started packing their gear. Beth sighed and brought her leg from around his hip. She was expecting to see embarrassment, maybe even regret on his facial features but she was greeted with a one-of-kind, original Daryl Dixon smile. It wasn't even a small smile he had given her at the cabin. It was a rested smile as he leaned over and placed a kiss to her forehead.


	2. Cheaters never prosper, neither do liars

"When are we leavin' em?"

Beth's low whisper perked Daryl's ears. It was the first thing she had said to him since they gathered their stuff and started following the Claimers. Daryl looked up at the grey, gloomy sky and gave a slight shiver at the unforgiving Winter breeze. He didn't want to answer her because he honestly didn't know when they'd have the chance. Strength in numbers wasn't worth sticking around these men but the weather was getting colder and food was scarce.

He answered her back with the same volume she gave him, "When we get the chance."

Beth looked over at him and then back to the road in front of her. She still was favoring her ankle but it had healed well during their time together. If they had to, she could run. That was important for an infinite amount of reasons. Joe had mentioned catching up with a man who had killed one of their own. Daryl wasn't going to stick around for that and neither was Beth. When the men were side tracked by their new victim, they would ditch them at the right moment. It had to be quick but smart.

It was half way through the day when they finally took their first rest. Daryl held out a candy bar for Beth to take and Beth looked up at him with a wide smile, "You been savin' this just for me?" Daryl shrugged in a bashful way and that just made Beth's smile brighten, "Well thanks, Mr. Dixon."

He shook his head but gave a smirk as she took it from him, "How's your ankle?"

She slid her leg up to her chest and touched at her injury, "Its way better than it was when you found me." Daryl gently moved her hand and caressed her ankle. He kneaded harder and she let out a hiss of pain and he muttered an apology as he let some of the pressure off.

It had occurred to him at that time that she never did tell him what happened after the funeral house. He never pressed her for it because, well, it didn't really matter what happened. She was here and he wasn't alone like he had been. But it still made him curious.

Beth had survived at least a whole day on her own before she found him. She hadn't depended on anyone. She survived on her own. Sure, it was only a day but being out there alone for any amount of time was scary, especially for her. A sheltered farm girl who probably had never been lost and alone a day in her life.

She was very good at listening and learning, that was apparent. Her hands were rougher than he remembered which meant she had to have created some shelter. There was also some burns he noticed on her fingers signaling she had made a fire as well. She had definitely killed a number of walkers by the amount of blood and dirt she was caked in from head to toe. Her clothes were still covered in the filth because they had yet to find a clothing store and Daryl didn't like the idea of her bathing/doing laundry in a nearby stream with these men around not to mention the risk of hypothermia. She was a trooper though.

"Makes me look like I'm someone who no one would wanna mess with." She had told him with a small smile. He knew she hated it even if she was trying really hard to act like she didn't hate it.

Joe let out a sharp whistle, signaling it was time to go. Daryl hadn't noticed that his hand was still on her ankle as he was thinking. Beth had a quizzical look on her face, "Where'd ya' go?"

Daryl released her ankle and shrugged it off, "Nowhere."

He got up and he caught her rolling her eyes as he offered his hand to her to help her up. When she stood up she looked at him again and said, "One of these days, I'm not gonna take you shrugging off my questions as an answer."

He gave her a sideways look before he picked up her back pack and handed it to her in which she took it from him with a cheeky smile on her face. Beth's hand found his shortly after they began walking again, and he accepted into his like it was second nature which confused him a little. He hadn't ever hidden the fact from the group that he hated to be touched. He had his dark childhood to thank for that. But with Beth, it was different. She had changed him and made him a better person, a more trusting person.

As the sun was starting to set, an injured doe limped across the road a small ways away from them. The young deer was totally unaware of the group's presence and even though Daryl was in the back, he brought his hand from Beth's. Cocking his crossbow, he sent his bolt flying which barely missed a few Claimers' heads. The bolt went right through the doe's head, ultimately ending the creature's suffering.

"Claimed." Daryl called but of course, his arrow wasn't the only arrow in the dead doe. Len's arrow accompanied his and even though Daryl had claimed it first he knew Len was going to open his stupid mouth.

"Claimed? Ya gotta be kiidin' me. Joe, you said food was not claimed no more." Len exclaimed, teeth bared and spitting his words at both Daryl and Beth. "The little bitch already has three helpings every time we fucking sit down to eat."

Daryl bristled at his words and started towards Len but Beth got in front of him. He knew she was saying something, but he was so angry he wasn't listening and kept walking. He wasn't pushing her but he was making her step back while getting closer to Len.

"Daryl, don't!" Beth screamed at him which cause him to slow to a stop. When she had his attention she whispered, "He isn't worth it."

He registered her words and stopped but was still glaring fiercely at Len and his anger hadn't died down. He brought his eyes from Len to Beth and then to Joe. Daryl finally shook his head and said through gritted teeth, "Ya' said canned food. Ya' never side anythin' about live game." He looked back over to Len, pointing a finger at him, "Asshole's been bagging squirrels behind our backs. I've seen him."

Len shook his head but Daryl saw the startled look on his face, signaling Len hadn't known Daryl had been watching him.

From the front of the group, Joe looked to Daryl then Beth and then finally to Len and asked, "That true, Len?"

Len glared at Daryl, "No, I been putin' all my findins in the center. Like we supposed too."

"Damn liar." Daryl spat at him and Beth had to put her hands on his chest again and give him a small push as Daryl started at Len again.

Joe started laughing. The laugh wasn't a bit hearty but all menacing. It made Beth's skin crawl and she turned away from Daryl to see what Joe was laughing at. Joe had stopped by the time she turned but he had a crooked smile plastered on his face. A evil crooked smile. He started walking towards them but stopped in front of Len.

"You're a piece of fucking work, Len. May have blurred the claimin' food rule… but lying? That's still a rule… With the same consequences." Joe shook his head as he said his next sentence, "Teach him boys, teach him all the way."

Beth didn't know what Joe meant by that but judging by how Daryl grabbed her and pulled her into a crushing embrace against his chest, she knew it wasn't something she wanted to see.


End file.
